The potato chip factory will expand its workforce to 50 people next year

The President of the Government of La Rioja, Gonzalo Capellán, accompanied by other politicians, yesterday visited the potato chip factory located on the N-120 highway, near Alesón. The plant returned to activity a few months ago after being closed for several years due to the departure in January 2022 of the Murcian company that managed it.

It was last autumn when the Apex Group, specialised in snacks, decided to acquire the premises to establish one of its production centres there. Since then, this Navarrese company has invested around two million euros and, to date, employs 29 people in the Alesona factory.

In this sense, Capellán wanted to dedicate a few words of gratitude to Apex “for having generated so much work in a rural area of ​​Rioja.” During the speaking session, the regional president explained that, in order to continue making similar investments, his executive will reactivate a line of aid to the industry that he had not been granted since 2018.

The general director of the Apex group, Santiago Sala, responded by stating that the intention is to expand the workforce to 50 people in the 2024-2025 biennium with an extra investment of 1.5 million euros “to put the industry in a position.” new dimension. The main novelties would be the creation of the night shift with new frying trains; in addition to a nitrogen tank to optimize packaging, a liquefied natural gas installation in order to banish the diesel boiler and the expansion of the fire protection system.

Another great idea is to move the packaging area and the loading dock to the warehouse, currently disused. During the visit, the head of production, Ricardo Lahera, also confirmed that there is an intention to “supply potatoes from local farmers, which are of superior quality.”